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But despite FA rules encouraging officials not to make physical contact with a player, Mr Drysdale, who serves as a RAF Reservist at RAF Waddington and lives in the Lincoln area, acted quickly to put the distressed defender into the recovery position to ensure his airways weren’t blocked.

One official said he had potentially saved the player's life.

Mr Drysdale, who has officiated at the World Cup and an FA Cup final, said the training from his RAF role allowed him to take immediate action.

Darren Drysdale in action as a referee (Image: Tina Jenner)

He said: “Even though you’re not supposed to touch injured players, when I saw he was in distress the survival mechanism in me just kicked in and I had to move him to do what I could to stop him from swallowing his tongue.

“I spoke to the player as we were walking off for half time, to explain my actions and he thanked me.”

Remarkably, the right-back was cleared to continue in the game which the Spirerites lost 2-0.

However, despite the defeat, he was grateful for the intervention of Mr Drysdale, who potentially saved his life.

“I’m fine,” he told the club’s official website. “It was just a boot to the side of the head and my eyes went black and my tongue was down my throat, but when the referee moved me it came back up.”

An official at the East Midlands Reserve Forces and Cadets Association said the move had 'potentially saved the player's life'.